Regulatory assessment of the competence of shift supervisor and control room operator candidates

For the last few years, initiatives have been underway to obtain assurance of CANDU stations operating staff competence by evaluating the training programs in place at each station, in addition to the well established approach of direct examination of Shift Supervisor and Control Room Operator candidates. The implementation of these initiatives has benefited from a process of organized consultation with senior representatives of the three nuclear utilities. AECB staff meet regularly with these people as members of a group named the Standing Inter-Utility/Regulatory Working Group, which was itself formed through a regulatory initiative in 1990. The examinations conducted by the AECB have also undergone significant changes to improve their effectiveness, taking into account the shortcomings of the past written examination approach to assessment, the introduction of the training program evaluation activities and the developments in the utilities training programs in the last decade. The main change so far has been the introduction of regular simulator-based examinations in 1993. However, the number and overall duration of regulatory examinations have been reduced. Further changes are planned for the near future, particularly in relation to the examination of Shift Supervisor candidates. This paper provides detailed information on the regulatory initiatives that have been taken so far and those which are still planned. Particular attention will be given to the process of examination using full-scope simulators and the experience which has been acquired since its introduction. (author)